CW Bringing Shows to Apple TV Via New App

The CW network has announced a deal that will make it the first broadcast television network to have its own app on Apple TV.

This week has seen a number of major developments in the arena of next-generation television content distribution. Now another established player, the CW network, has announced plans to launch an app that will bring its shows to Apple TV, bypassing established third-party intermediaries.

Rather than limiting the streaming distribution of its shows to Apple TV through Netflix or Hulu, the new CW app will offer users direct access to full episodes of the network's lineup, according to a report from Deadline. Much like the content viewers consume on Hulu, the shows on the CW app will be advertiser-supported. This unique tie-up with Apple represents the first such instance in which a broadcast television network will offer a show app on Apple TV. However, the CW TV Now app is already available on the Xbox 360 and Windows 8.

"It's a dedicated CW app that will work like our Xbox and mobile and tablet apps - no cable authentication required, full episodes of our shows available next day after air, ad-supported," a CW spokesman told MacRumors.

The news came during a full week of what the television industry calls "upfronts," which are presentations designed to stir interest from the advertising industry in new shows and serves as a platform to deliver news of overall developments for the upcoming television season. During the CW presentation, CW President Mark Pedowitz also announced the launch of CW Seed, a digital studio that will be dedicated to creating video content exclusively for the Web. No firm date for the launch of the app has been announced, but the app is expected to show up on Apple TV sometime later this year.